La Grange man reported missing after four years

Published: Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 05:17 PM.

LA GRANGE — Melvin Thomas Joyner’s sister hadn’t heard from him in four years, so she reported him missing to the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.

Joyner’s sister, 71, said her brother, 55, usually maintains at least a small amount of contact with her.

“He is known to leave and travel, but apparently he usually contacts her by phone, and she hadn’t heard anything from him recently, and that’s why she called us,” LCSO Maj. Ryan Dawson said.

Joyner was supposed to have been leaving town on a trip the last time they talked, and he called her at least once a year.

Once deputies entered Joyner’s name into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database, they discovered law enforcement in Texas was looking for him as well. Dawson said the only information available was Joyner was wanted on pending charges.

“His status as missing is somewhat unknown at this time,” Dawson said.

Joyner has spent time in prison. His most recent terms of incarceration in North Carolina date back more than 20 years, when he spent August 1992-August 1994 behind bars on convictions for felony breaking and entering and misdemeanor larceny.

LA GRANGE — Melvin Thomas Joyner’s sister hadn’t heard from him in four years, so she reported him missing to the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.

Joyner’s sister, 71, said her brother, 55, usually maintains at least a small amount of contact with her.

“He is known to leave and travel, but apparently he usually contacts her by phone, and she hadn’t heard anything from him recently, and that’s why she called us,” LCSO Maj. Ryan Dawson said.

Joyner was supposed to have been leaving town on a trip the last time they talked, and he called her at least once a year.

Once deputies entered Joyner’s name into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database, they discovered law enforcement in Texas was looking for him as well. Dawson said the only information available was Joyner was wanted on pending charges.

“His status as missing is somewhat unknown at this time,” Dawson said.

Joyner has spent time in prison. His most recent terms of incarceration in North Carolina date back more than 20 years, when he spent August 1992-August 1994 behind bars on convictions for felony breaking and entering and misdemeanor larceny.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.